The NFL announced Tuesday that they have done away with the league-ran rookie symposium and replaced it with a new rookie transition program hosted by each NFL team.

The new format includes each team’s drafted and undrafted rookies for the first time. The switch was designed to ensure each team had a customized orientation program for rookies to adjust to the community and NFL.

Denver, as well as the rest of the AFC, will host their programs June 22-24. The NFC programs are scheduled to run June 20-22.

Teams will be mandated to include core discussions on social responsibility, respect at work, mental health, character and values, and player engagement resources.Read more…

“Trevor has had a really good camp. He’s a bright guy, he’s improved. He wasn’t healthy when he got here because he was coming off a knee injury. So he wasn’t able to do a lot in his first month, but as he gotten healthy and was able to get out on the field and get the reps. It really paid dividends for him. He got more comfortable and just played well throughout camp.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but all of the rookies got their heads shaved by our “senior committee”. It’s kind of a defensive thing—that’s the one time they’re allowed to cross over the ball. Ty (Sambrailo) had long hair when he got here and they cut our left tackles hair. But, for three years in a row now I have spared the QB’s. I spared Brock (Osweiler), I spared (Zac) Dysert and I spared Trevor. But I told Trevor, ‘Just because I spared you from getting your head shaved doesn’t mean … you still need a hair cut.’ He’s got a bad haircut. It’s borderline mullet at this point.

“So I said: ‘Don’t take advantage of my generosity … get a hair cut. Represent the QBs. Look sharp.’ He hasn’t done it yet.Read more…

The Broncos announced Sunday that they signed rookie offensive tackle Charles Sweeton and waived injured tackle Connor Rains.

Rains, a college free agent out of Wyoming, hurt his foot during Friday’s training camp practice and was placed on the waived/injured list.

Sweeton is a 6-foot-5, 291-pound tackle from the University of Tennessee-Martin. He was a four-year starter and a first-team Ohio Valley Conference selection as a senior last year. He was initially signed by Kansas City in May as a college free agent before being released a week later.

King, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound rookie out of Kansas, had 30 receptions for 537 yards and one touchdown as a redshirt junior for the Jayhawks last season. He signed with the Miami Dolphins in May and competed in mini camp and organized team activities before being waived on Monday.

The biggest highlight of the many offensive linemen Ty Sambrailo and Max Garcia experienced this past week was, of course, hearing their name called in the 2015 draft.

But meeting Peyton Manning was high on the list.

Sambrailo, a standout tackle at Colorado State and the Broncos’ second-round pick, said he met with Manning briefly in the team’s cafeteria Thursday and is “extremely ready” to block for the quarterback.

“He came up and said hi and said he’s excited to get to work,” Sambrailo said Friday, after Day 1 of rookie mini camp. “That’s a future Hall of Famer, and it’s exciting to be in the same building as him. I’ve heard he really appreciates offensive linemen. Not a bad guy to block for.”Read more…

Bradley Roby’s journey to the Broncos began in high school. He starred at Peachtree Ridge in Suwanee, Ga. As a punt returner, wide receiver and cornerback, he helped his team reach the 2009 state quarterfinals. He redshirted as a freshman at Ohio State, and focusing on cornerback for the first time, his career took off. He started the next 37 games. A first-team All-Big Ten performance as a junior placed him firmly on the Broncos’ radar. Impressed with his athleticism and football IQ, the Broncos drafted Roby in the first round with the 31st overall pick. He is the first rookie cornerback in the last 25-plus years to record multiple interceptions, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries with at least one sack. He answers questions each Thursday. Here’s the fifth installment:

You said Ohio State would get into the playoff. Do you think they will win the national championship?

— Julie

Roby: They have the talent to win. Whoever wins that game is going to win the national championship. I really think they will win, man. Cardale (Jones) can throw. As long as they play to his strengths, they will be good. And you know (coach) Urban (Meyer) will have a good game plan. It’s going to be a good game. When they beat Alabama, they will beat whoever is next. I knew Cardale could be good because he had a very strong arm when I faced him in practice. I think he has the best arm out of the three (quarterbacks), just being honest. Strength wise. He needs to work on his accuracy. But it was good last Saturday. He had a cannon. They called him “12-Gauge.” He’s a big guy, 6-foot-5, 240.

You have had fumble recoveries and interceptions this season. Which do you like best?

— Jerry

Roby: A pick. A pick all day everyday. That’s what counts for a DB. All other plays matter, too. But when they look at DBs, they want to know how many picks you have. I need a touchdown, a pick six. That’s the only thing I haven’t done yet. I feel like I have had opportunities, and I let them get away. I definitely think I could make that happen pretty soon.

What is it like being the only rookie in an experienced secondary and defense?

— Kyle

Roby: Just being a young guy on defense, I don’t want to let anyone down. That’s why it hurts even more if I give up a play. I know they expect it could happen because I am new. But I don’t want to be looked at as a weak link. It’s my first year I am working to make no mistakes. I am continuing to work to get better.

Do you have any routine or superstitions leading up to game day?

— Luke

Roby: I always try to eat sushi on Saturdays when we have home games, and Fridays if it’s a road game. I go to Wasabi and I always get the Playboy Roll (shrimp tempura and spicy tuna roll topped with salmon and avocado). They already know what I want when I call. When I trained in the L.A. for the combine, I started eating a lot of great sushi.

How important is family during the holidays, and did you have a favorite Christmas gift growing up?

— Ann

Roby: It’s really important. All you can do is send gifts from afar. I don’t get into holidays too crazy, like I did when I was younger and got gifts. I loved that. I feel like you should love family and appreciate them when you have a chance to see them. My favorite gift, when I was younger, I loved (video) games. I tried to get all the Maddens, the NCAAs, and Grand Theft Auto. That was my game right there. My mom wouldn’t want to buy it. I would beg her for it all month. She didn’t like the game (because of the rating), but when Christmas would come she would get it for me. I’d be so happy.

Broncos coaches not named John Fox spoke to reporters at length following practice Thursday. And Adam Gase, the team’s offensive coordinator, was rather straightforward when asked about the Broncos’ running game, with their young set of backs, and how the offense has handled having to play a pair of solid defenses — Seattle last Thursday and San Francisco this coming Sunday — in their first two preseason games.

Here’s what Gase had to say:

On what he’s seen from the running game:
“For the most part, we’re a little more downhill this year. We do stretch it some but probably not as much as we were trying to last year. We’re using a little more of our gap schemes and running some power plays which has really developed a little bit different attitude for us. It makes it a little easier on our guys to say, ‘Hey, I’m just coming off the ball, and we’re going to be downhill.’”

On if the running game can help the defense:
“I think for what we’re doing right now, especially with our defense, they would say we’re probably running the ball better, and our downhill running game is probably helping them because now they’re seeing what they’re probably going to see in the regular season. I think it’s helping both sides of the ball.”

1. Can John Elway continue Denver’s winning ways?
“Three years ago, John Elway’s hiring brought questions of Denver’s intent. Would the former face of the franchise just be a figurehead? Three straight playoff appearances and a Super Bowl berth later, the answer is clear: Nope.”—Joan Niesen, MMQB

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2. Peyton Manning’s offseason rituals
“How do you reboot the game of a legendary competitor coming off the most epic disappointment of his career? This is how …”—Jeff Legwold, ESPN.com

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“3. As always, a Manning team has a shot
“But there are whispers in Denver that Seattle exposed some weaknesses in Manning’s game at this stage of his career — namely, his inability to create plays once the original play breaks down.”—Jeffrey Flanagan, Fox Sports Kansas City

5. Elway still working on deals for top weapons
“The Denver Broncos have made contract offers to star wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and tight end Julius Thomas and will continue negotiating with both players after training camp opens July 24, Broncos general manager John Elway said Wednesday.”—Lindsay H. Jones, USA Today SportsRead more…

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Long before Seattle dropped 43 points on the Broncos in the Super Bowl, it should have been evident to all of us: Denver never had a defense capable of winning the NFL championship. Acknowledging that problem is the first step in the Broncos’ long road back to the Super Bowl. Good news: There’s no ducking the No. 1 issue by the team.—Mark Kiszla, The Denver Post

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WES WELKER STILL MOTIVATED TO WIN FIRST SUPER BOWL
After five Pro Bowls and 841 receptions, Wes Welker confronts his latest challenge, staring at a cold reality in Denver. This might not be his last chance at winning a Super Bowl — he’s 0-for-3 in the big game — but this sets up as potentially his final season in Denver. The Broncos signed free agent Emmanuel Sanders to a three-year, $15 million deal in March. They drafted Cody Latimer in the second round.—Troy E. Renck, The Denver PostRead more…

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One of the last teams to bother with the formality of signing draft picks, the Broncos got busy on the first business day of June by finalizing four-year contracts with second-round receiver Cody Latimer, sixth-round center Matt Paradis and seventh-round linebacker Corey Nelson.

The Broncos and St. Louis Rams were the only two NFL teams who had yet to sign a draft pick through Sunday. There is no hurry, though, because since the most dramatic change in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, all draft picks are pretty much slotted into contracts.—Mike Klis, The Denver Post

JOHN ELWAY’S SON ARRESTED; ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING GIRLFRIEND
John Albert Elway III, 24, was charged early Saturday morning with assault and disturbing the peace, police reported. He was released from the Denver jail on a $550 bond after being arrested at his father’s Cherry Hills Village home. His next court date is Thursday.

In an alleged fight with his girlfriend, Jack Elway, the son of Broncos executive vice president of football operations and general manager John Elway, ripped out pieces of the woman’s hair and pushed her to the ground.—Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post

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MORE LINE SHUFFLES; WINTSON JUSTICE TRIES TACKLE
Monday, the Broncos continued moving bodies up front with Wintson Justice receiving a look at right tackle and Vinston Painter taking some reps at guard. Chris Clark entered organized team activities first at right tackle, but Denver wants to keep an open mind along the line.—Troy E. Renck, The Denver PostRead more…

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Peyton Manning, as always, was leading the way through crisp work, that had groups switching in and out and the horn blowing repeatedly to signal for the next assignment. Health brought good news as pass rusher Von Miller worked out on a limited basis, continuing to show progress from anterior cruciate ligament surgery. Chris Harris, the team’s top returning cornerback, went through agility work. >> MORE PHOTOS FROM OTAs—Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post

1. Can the Broncos put their Super Bowl embarrassment behind them? Last season was about overcoming the devastating “Flacco Fling.” Led by Manning’s daily enjoyment of details, the Broncos responded by going 13-3 to earn the No.1 AFC playoff seed for a second consecutive season, then winning two home playoff games.

This year will be about overcoming the 43-8 shellacking they received from the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII.—Mike Klis, The Denver PostRead more…

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Isaiah Burse caught 99 passes for 1,026 yards last season at Fresno State and has been a big fan of new teammate Wes Welker’s. (Jack Dempsey, The Associated Press)

ISAIAH BURSE EXPLOSIVE ENOUGH TO MAKE RUN AT ROSTER
Everything about this wide receiver seems a little fast: his legs, his feet, his words, which tumble out of his mouth with passion and inflection, and his potential path to the roster. An undrafted free agent has made the Broncos’ final cut 10 consecutive years — the third-longest active stretch in the NFL, behind the Indianapolis Colts (15) and the Kansas City Chiefs (11). Burse is poised to extend Denver’s streak. … Burse received a $12,500 signing bonus, highest among their undrafted players — because of his ability on special teams.—Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post

CHASE VAUGHN OF CSU-PUEBLO AMONG 3 BRONCOS SIGNINGS
The Broncos on Monday signed three players — wide receiver Greg Hardin, safety Charles Mitchell and linebacker Chase Vaughn — to bring their roster to the offseason limit of 90, the NFL team announced. The Broncos also waived punter Steven Clark and defensive tackle Mister Cobble in addition to designating defensive end John Youboty (Achilles) as waived/injured.—The Denver Post

BRADLEY ROBY TELLS HIS SIDE OF ORANGE BOWL STORY
Bradley Roby missed his final collegiate game because of an injury, creating some grousing from Ohio State fans that the cornerback was protecting his draft status. Roby addressed the issue over the weekend, the Broncos’ first-round pick saying he was unable to play because of a hyperextended and bruised left knee.—Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post

EX-BRONCO BRANDON MARSHALL SIGNS 3-YEAR DEAL WITH BEARS
The Chicago Bears and Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall, who once played for the Broncos, agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2017 season on Monday. Marshall announced on Twitter that the extension is worth $30 million and that he’s donating $1 million to the “mental health community.” He signed the deal during an appearance on ABC’s “The View” talk show.—The Associated PressRead more…

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Devin Aguilar, who starred for coach Dave Logan at Mullen High School, is getting a tryout with the Broncos this weekend. Logan is now coaching Cherry Creek High School. And Aguilar is hoping to get his pro career going.

Aguilar played four years at Washington and was an undrafted free-agent rookie with the Tennessee Titans in 2012.

The Broncos have seven drafted players, 16 undrafted rookies, eight tryout players among their 37 players participating in rookie camp that runs from Friday through Sunday.

Oklahoma State defensive back Justin Gilbert runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis on Feb. 25, 2014. (Michael Conroy, The Associated Press)

Despite 15 wins, a Super Bowl appearance and a free-agent haul, the Broncos have needs.

They are looking to add depth, if not immediate contributors at cornerback, linebacker and the offensive line. Even with the addition of Aqib Talib, the Broncos could use help on the perimeter to protect themselves as Chris Harris recovers from knee surgery.

With 10 days to mull over their loss to San Diego, the Broncos seemed to move on after their mini-bye leading up to their trip to Houston. With Peyton Manning being recognized with a somewhat prestigious honor and no new injuries to worry about, the team shouldn’t have had too much to complain about, especially considering they face two losing teams to end the regular season.

Monday: The Broncos had what they called a “bonus” practice on Monday; usually, the team just has meetings, but with no Sunday game, it was able to get out there on the field. Peyton Manning, Wes Welker (concussion), Kayvon Webster (thumb) and Derek Wolfe (illness) sat out the practice.

Manning was also honored as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, an honor that was announced Sunday night. Sports Illustrated editor Chris Stone was on hand at Dove Valley to discuss the honor, and a dinner was held for Manning Monday night. Also, if you don’t take the time to read Lee Jenkins’ story about Manning, on the cover of this week’s issue, you’re bananas.

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.